Burnaby

Burnaby is British Columbia third-largest city and it sits directly between Vancouver and the Tri-Cities, which makes it the commute hinge of the region. The thing to understand about Burnaby is that the city was deliberately planned around four town centres rather than one downtown: Brentwood in the northwest, Lougheed in the northeast, Metrotown in the southwest and Edmonds in the southeast. Metrotown is also the designated Regional Town Centre. Almost everything about the housing market here follows from that structure.

The practical consequence is a sharp split. Density is concentrated at the four centres, and the land between them stayed low-rise and leafy. As of 2026 Burnaby has 57 buildings taller than 100 metres, clustered at those centres, while neighbourhoods a ten-minute drive away are still quiet post-war detached streets.

The areas within Burnaby

Metrotown

The regional centre, built around one of the largest shopping centres in the province. Housing is predominantly tower condominium, with detached homes surviving on the periphery. This is the most urban address in Burnaby and the one with the deepest rental pool, which matters if you are buying to hold.

Brentwood

The northwest centre, in the middle of a very large multi-tower redevelopment around the mall. Historically a mix of detached homes and condominiums, it is now the clearest example of Burnaby town-centre strategy in progress. Expect construction as a fact of life for some years yet, and price that in.

Lougheed

The northeast centre, where the Expo and Millennium lines meet, and the gateway to Coquitlam. Also redeveloping heavily, though the surrounding neighbourhoods retain a wider mix of housing types than Metrotown does.

Edmonds, Highgate and East Burnaby

The southeast quadrant, and traditionally the most attainable part of the city. A genuine mix of detached homes, townhouses, duplexes and condominiums rather than a tower monoculture, which makes it one of the more flexible places to buy in Burnaby.

Burnaby Heights and Central Burnaby

Established low-rise neighbourhoods with mature trees and well-kept post-war houses, frequently sitting beside a modern rebuild on the same block. That side-by-side pattern is the visual signature of Burnaby: people tend to stay and rebuild rather than leave.

Deer Lake, Government Road and South Slope

The larger-lot, quieter end of the city. Deer Lake carries the civic and cultural cluster, including Burnaby Village Museum and the arts centre. Government Road sits below Burnaby Mountain with some of the most generous lots in the city. All three trade walkability for space and quick access to commuter routes.

Burnaby Mountain and SFU

Simon Fraser University sits on the mountain, with the UniverCity community built around it. A distinct sub-market driven by students, faculty and investors, and weather that is genuinely different from the valley floor.

Housing stock, by era

• Post-war to 1970s — the bulk of detached Burnaby, spread across Central Burnaby, the Heights, East Burnaby and South Slope. Solid houses on good lots, with systems now well past original service life.
• 1980s to 1990s — later detached subdivisions plus the first generation of low-rise strata. This is the Poly-B window, which matters below.
• 2000s — the first serious tower wave at Metrotown, and townhouse infill throughout.
• 2010 to today — the current town-centre boom at Brentwood, Metrotown, Lougheed and Edmonds, plus UniverCity on the mountain.

What to check before you buy in Burnaby

• Poly-B plumbing. Grey polybutylene pipe went into Lower Mainland homes built roughly between 1978 and 1995. It degrades from the inside against chloramines in Metro Vancouver treated water, usually with no visible warning, and insurers now price or decline accordingly. Confirm whether it is present and whether it was replaced.
• Which town centre plan your block sits in. Burnaby is explicit about where density goes. A detached house near a town centre boundary has a very different long-run future than one in the middle of South Slope. Read the applicable plan before you assume the street stays as it is.
• Construction exposure. Around Brentwood and Metrotown, the building beside you may not be the building that is there in five years. Worth checking what is approved nearby, particularly for view and noise.
• Strata depreciation reports. Burnaby has a deep stock of 1980s and 1990s low-rise. Read the depreciation report and two years of minutes before removing conditions, especially on envelope and plumbing.
• Which SkyTrain line actually serves you. Expo Line stops at Patterson, Metrotown, Royal Oak and Edmonds. Millennium Line stops at Gilmore, Brentwood Town Centre, Holdom, Sperling-Burnaby Lake, Lake City Way, Production Way-University and Lougheed Town Centre. They serve quite different commutes.

Thinking about buying or selling in Burnaby?

Kristy Mattiazzo works across Burnaby and the Tri-Cities. Which quadrant of Burnaby suits you depends on whether you want the tower-and-transit life or the quiet detached streets between the centres. Get in touch to talk it through.

Kristy’s practice is centred on Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities. See her Coquitlam Realtor page for how she works with buyers and sellers, and what to expect from the process.